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MARISOL's POV
"wait so you, ale, gavi, and ansu had already planned to take them to the petting zoo?" well... yeah. my parents were busy and i knew if i kept them here all day they'd just bug me so why do that when i can have a friend each to watch them while also having fun.
"pretty much. you're invited now if that wasn't obvious."
"can i at least get a heads up next time?"
"of course, amor. (love)" i tell him, scrunching my nose and picking on him before the doorbell rang. "okay stop and go answer!"
i know he's sick of me but why do that when i know gavi has a key.
i can hear him finally jiggling it from here and ciro is the first out his seat. "does he just know when it's gavi?" he's the only one who struggles to open it anyways. "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOUR DAD IT WAS TOO DIFFICULT FOR ME TO UNLOCK AND THAT HE SHOULD CHANGE IT!" is the first thing gavi yells as he and the other two come in.
they're coming next week because my dad actually gave into the request.
"gavi!" i hear ciro say before i motion for pedri to get up so we can meet them at the foyer.
"you guys are actually on time." theres a first for everything after all. "we're always on time." ansu corrects me.
"gavi came late to dinner a few days ago-"
"I TOLD YOU GUYS THERE WAS TRAFFIC."
we all laugh and the kids go find their shoes while i load the dishwasher and pedri greets the guys. he didn't get stuck in conversation, instead he came to help me and the guys helped my brothers.
"you all had dinner a few nights ago?" i hadn't realized how blank pedri's face had turned. "my mom told me to invite them, why?" and it stayed like that even when i replied. "no i was just surprised that's all."
except it clearly isn't cuz then he asks, "also since when does gavi have a key?"
"couldn't tell you honestly. i was just as confused when my dad gave it to him." he nods slowly and puts the boys cups in there and we set the timer before we also go find our shoes.
"you driving?" i ask because i'd honestly much rather prefer him to. "if you want me to."
good because i also love when he does.
i throw him the keys and i hear his soft laugh as he gets mateo and thiago. ciro was already with the others and i kinda already had an idea as to why. "can i go with them in the car, mari?!"
"maybe on the ride back, okay?" by then he'll be too tired to remember my promise.
he gladly doesn't put up a fight and i make sure i locked everything once more. "imagine you didn't lock a window and just so happen to get robbed." ale jokes as if i took it as one.
"shut up i literally have nightmares about that."
and he knows i do too.
pedri gets my little brothers out and i lock the door behind me. "will they have horses, mari?" thiago asks me and i tell him i assume because i don't wanna lie and have them getting upset at me later for lying.
"HA, HE'S IN A BOOSTER SEAT!"
the second i help ciro in, i hear balde and although it cracks the smallest smile on me while trying to hold back my laugh, i can't because its ciro and he hates it too.
"dígale que se calle (tell him to shut up), mari!"
"you heard him, ale."
i look back and he pretends to act scared and gets in the car ansu's driving when pedri and i can finally get into ours. "can i put on a song?" thiago asks and i hate that he asked so nicely.
"well, i was gonna put on taylor-"
"nope, give it to thiago." pedri tells me and it gives me a bit of a clue of how tired he might be.
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"thanks to you we had to listen to imaginary dragons the whole way here!" i whisper loudly to pedri when we got out before helping the kids out. "if i had known i would've said no!"
"what're you guys talking about?"
ansu comes up to us after parking and i explain to him. "they make good music though!"
"yeah he's got a point."
of course they'd think that. i don't think on it anymore when they're all out and ciro starts jumping in place already taking gavi's hand. "ya vamos! (let's go already!)"
since he insists.
i laugh at him dragging gavi along as they take the lead and i notice thiago walk on my right while mateo is right between pedri and i. "que quieren ver primero? (what do you guys wanna see first?)"
"los caballos! (the horses!)"
"las cabras! (the goats!)"
"los cerdos! (the pigs!)"
"pigs are so gross though." but it makes sense as to why mateo wants to see them so badly. "you're no fun." he tells me and only gets closer to pedri as he chuckles quietly. "um, which is closer?" i ask, unaware of where we're even going.
"theres a map stand ahead." gavi tells us and we only follow the two. "the pigs are actually to our right." of course they are.
mateo gets excited so we all just agree to go.
we follow the trail and it's covered in a hove pattern as ciro jumps on all of them, almost falling face first if it weren't for pedri. "tenga cuidado (be careful), ciro."
honestly, i can't worry about ciro all that much when pedri takes so much caution over him.
it was cute to see knowing pedri would like a better relationship with him like his and gavi's. i keep telling myself at least mateo likes him, and thiago's warming up again, but pedri wants so much more.
i love him for trying. i always will.
i look to him and mateo on my left having a conversation before we reach the pens and the smell nauseates me to a whole other degree. "my stomach just flipped."
"maybe you should've stayed home!" mateo tells me as he gets closer.
"maybe i shouldn't have brought you here but okay!" he didn't even care, nor did the other two who laughed whenever it oinked. "at least you're with your real family mateo!"
"look who's talking, mari."
"oh he got you." ale and pedri were laughing the hardest too. "yeah you definitely don't wanna know what i think of you."
"hey what's that supposed to mean?!" but i continued to carry on with my brothers so thiago could see the horses more up ahead.
the path was beautiful.
there were various flowers that would crowd the path and although i really wanted to pick one, i decided i'd let them live. what i didn't realize is that ciro and mateo were building a whole bouquet until they gave it to me. "as sweet as this is-"
"shh just take it!"
well there wasn't much i could do.
so i thank them when thiago gets overly excited at the sight of a horse getting closer. "it's so cute!"
"the donkey?"
"YES THEY'RE UNDER APPRECIATED!"
i wonder why. and i wonder why both gavi and ansu got so defensive over it. but i didn't care all that much once an actual horse got smack in the face of thiago and he was loving all the love. "can i pet it, mari?" ciro asks for confirmation and i give it as everyone else is focused on it.
i felt pedri's hand touch mine and he leads me to a white one a little more back. "it's beautiful." i whisper. not only that, but it's really friendly when it get used to my touch.
"i don't know but your parents seem like the type who would've rented a white horse and stuck on a fake horn and tricked you saying it was a unicorn as a kid if you asked for one."
"were you at my fourth birthday?!"
sometimes i like to think it was too.
"I KNEW IT!" we both laugh and out of nowhere he tucks in some hairs. "you're beautiful, mari."
"gracias, amor (thank you, love). you're really pretty too, y'know?"
"well if you think so." oh i know. we share a smile before he kisses my cheek and we go back up to the others and they must've been waiting for me when thiago comes running up to me. "CAN I RIDE ONE, PLEASE?!"
i can't lie and say i was hesitant just because i was scared for him. "es bien seguro. no se preocupe, senorita. (it's very safe. don't worry, miss)" one of the men working there comes out of nowhere to assure me. "i'll go with him if you want." ansu offers but i know he wants to go solely for himself too. "esta bien pues. (it's fine then)"
but of course the other two had to ask.
so i agree and make sure to get everything on video for my mom. she'd love to see this.
"at least theres a hospital nearby." ansu says.
"say that again and i lie and tell your mom you snuck out again."
"IT WAS A JOKE AND PLEASE DON'T I'M STILL RECOVERING FROM THE FIRST TIME."
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"why'd we leave goats for last?" i ask because it was just as close to the pigs at the front.
"so you can meet your real family." ciro wanted to see them the most but he was starting to become slumped after chasing chickens around. "i think i'm more of an otter, that's nice of you, though." i love otters.
they're so cute.
thiago had been talking to pedri this whole time and it made me feel so good about this trip and how it brought him closer to him again.
after the horseback ride, he had been so happy he had to tell someone. pedri was by him while mateo went with ale and ciro continued to walk along gavi.
"ya casi llegamos (we're almost there), ciro."
i spoke at the perfect time because we started to see the fence and his mood instantly went up. "THEY'RE SO CUTE." well, i don't know about all that but yeah, they're something.
as long as he was feeling energized again... or so i thought.
"okay can we go now?"
i look at him surprised as do the rest of us because we thought this would be the highlight of his day. "don't you wanna feed them like teo and thiago?" and i point to them as the nice elderly woman handed them their food. "i'm tired." he says and his head falls on my shoulder.
"well, if you say so."
the good thing is, everyone actually had a good time.
the bad news is, i have to carry him to the car now.
i sigh and try to collect my brothers but the others helped me and follow us out. pedri and i are leading while my little brothers entertain the guys when all of a sudden pedri gets in my way and has his arms out. "te lo llevo para ti. (i'll take him for you)" i look at him making sure if it's even okay in the first place.
but he doesn't seem to mind even a little. thankfully, ciro never cares who he's with, plus i knew he was sleeping heavily.
i watched as pedri laid his head carefully on his shoulder and walked even more slowly as we reached the parking lot.
"we're kinda hungry, you guys wanna go get something to eat?"
i would but they kids seem way to tired for that.
"maybe some other time. plus i think my parents are home by now and they should rest." they all agree after seeing their state and the way they climb into the car so lazy. "thanks for coming guys." and i go to hug them all and so does pedri after buckling ciro up.
"see you guys at training on tuesday!" it wouldn't be a goodbye if i reminded them of their least favorite day of the week.
i smile before getting in the passenger seat and i'm able to connect my phone at last.
"let me guess, taylor?"
"no, whatever's on the radio honestly."
"who are you and what'd you do to marisol?!"
yeah i was surprised to but i told him to drive when bags by clairo started playing. "did you have a good time?" i ask him and he looks over to me immediately. "i always do with you and them." and he nudges his head at my sleeping brothers in the back.
"i'll never be more grateful for you, pedri."
"how do you think i feel about you?"
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